The Planning Conundrum For New Entrepreneurs And New Startups

A common complaint from entrepreneurs who are starting new business – especially during the revenue-free stage – is how rarely things go according to plan.

By that we mean, it feels like some (or all) of the following happen:

The technical issues can be daunting – and what seemed like the “best solution” this morning is “obsolete” by this afternoon

Most of those “to-do” items agreed to during the Monday morning planning session become irrelevant by Wednesday afternoon

Hard-and-fast financial projections carefully studied and researched, then massaged into PowerPoint and transposed into the strategic plan, become a fictional pipe dream of a theoretical yesterday in the blink of an eye

It feels like no “plan” seems to last an entire week; every week’s meeting seems to yield something new

The common thread:

Everything Changes So Damn Fast, It Makes Your Head Spin

It’s easy to get stuck in analysis paralysis when there are no customers to serve.

Simple equation:

No customers = no urgent issues = no deadlines that can’t be safely ignored in reality = no commitment.

We’ve witnessed nascent ventures talk themselves to death with endless chatter about the best way to get a hold of everyone and how quickly folks should respond.

(Actually we’ve seen this three times in two years.)

And we’ve seen some new businesses seem destined to meet this same fate, abruptly experience a shift that changes everything.

That shift?

They Got A Customer To Sign On The Line That Is Dotted (Or Enter Their Credit Card Number On The Form That Is Secure)

Voila – a real business!

Fastest path to the cash!

Try it.

Watch how fast your priorities shift.

Notice how your meetings cease to be gabfests – actually, notice how you start having less and less meetings – when there are customers on the line, deliverables to be deliverabled, and STUFF THAT’S BEEN PAID FOR that needs fulfilled!

Also notice how your “to-do” lists shorten because the money comes first. There just isn’t the same amount of time for “what-ifs”.

And, the biggest thing of all:

Your TOP MARKETING GURU Has Joined Your Team!

Who is this “TOP MARKETING GURU” of which we speak?

It’s not that guru or thought leader or coach or consultant or social media marketer or webmaster/maestro or publicity agent or copywriter or video expert.